Overhead traveling crane



L. ENNISAND A. JACK.

OVERHEAD TRAVELING CRANE. APPLICATION FILED JULY 23, I918.

- Pafiented May 9,1922.

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L. ENNIS AND A. JACK.

OVERHEAD TRAVELING CRANE. APPLICATION FILED JULY 23, me.

1,41 5,163. Patented May 9, 1922.

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' LAWRENCE nNN-is, or LiNrrronrE, ENGLAND, AND ALEXANDER JACK, or MOTHER- WELL, SCOTLAND. I

, OVERHEAD TRAVELING CRANE.

A Application filed July 23,

To all whom it may concern: 7

Be it known, that we, LAWRENGE'ENNIS and ALEXANDER JACK, both subjects of the King. of Great Britain, residing, respectively, in Linthorpe, England, and Motherwell, Scotland, have jointly invented oer tain new and useful Improvements Relating to Overhead Traveling Cranes, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to overhead traveling cranes provided with the usual cross traversing and longitudinal movements and in which the lifting appliances are carried by a verticalmast adapted to rotate in a complete circle about its central vertical axis. 7 p V According to the invention a cross runway girder fixed to the mast is provided with means for displacingthe gripping ap jplian'ces along the length of the girder to suit the dimensions and configuration of thefmaterial to be; handled. v

In one form'of construction two or more lifting crabs with hoisting gear, are adapted to move on suitable tracks along the cross girder'andare capable of being rackedout and in simultaneously or independently, so

that they may be symmetrically placed in.

relation to the axis of rotation and equalize or balance the distribution of the load. 7 Each crab may be provided with its own hoisting and racking motors, or one motor may be arranged to operate more than one crab. ,7

The plates, bars, or other materialslare lifted by electromagnets attached to the hoisting gear of the lifting crabs, or by I slings, hooks, dogs, or other gripping appliances, the points of suspension being so distributed that long plates or bars can be lifted in an approximately fiat orstraight condition.

In a modified construction the magnets or other gripping appliances are suspended directly from the several trolleys and are.

' hoisted or loweredsimultaneously by hoist ing or lowering the mast and cross runway girder by means of suitable lifting gear on the main trolley; The mast is in this case guided in its verticalfmovements. This type is more especially adapted for handling plates or bars in relation 'to a shearing or other operating machine where greater rigidity and precisionofhandlmg Specification of Letters Patent Pat ted pl g lggg 1 91 s. Serial N6.- zeasss.

are necessary than is possible with a load suspended by ropes or chains.

In this arrangement the magnets .or other gripping appliances may be, carried by jointed link-bars, permitting the extension or contraction of the lifting points to suit the length of the material handled, so as to maintain it in a flat or straight condition as already explained.

The accompanying drawings represent examples of constructions according to the invention; Fig. 1 shows a cross runway girder fixed to a vertical mast, which is capable of rotation about its central vertical axis, but is not raised-or lowered. In the arrangement shown in Fig. 2 the vertical mast can be raised and lowered and also rotated about its vertical axis.

Referring to Fig 1, 1 represents one of the overhead girders on which run wheels 2 offthe frame 3 which serves asa'suppo'rt and 'guide for-the rotary mast 41 Wheels 5 ofthe frame 3 run on the underside of a lower girder '6. The mastt which,"in the example shown is of square section, is

rotated by a toothed ring 7 gearing with a pinion 8 and connected by shafting 9, wheel 10 and pinion ll with a worm drive 12 ac-. tuated by a motor '13. A collar 14 on a hollow, shaft '15 rests on atop girder 16 of the frame 2; the shaft 15 carries the lower part of a ball? race 17, the-upper part of which is secured to a cross runway beam 18 of the mast 45. Theshaft 15 is preferably hollow to convey the electric leads to the motors carried by the cross girder 20 and is guided in bearings 19. Rollers 21 in contact with acircular ring 22 of the frame 3 take up any la'teral stresses due to unequal distribution of the weights lifted. V

Gripping appliances 23, preferably electromagnets, are secured to the girder 20 and are adapted to be rackedto and fro on tracks 24 by wheels 25 driven by reducing gear from motors 26. Motors27 raise and lower the gripping appliances 23 through suitable gearing.

' As explained above thecrabs may be racked simultaneously so as to balance the load and the motors may be arrangedv to operatemore than one crab.

I In the construction shown in Fig. 2 the square'sectioned vertical mast 28' is guided in its up and down movements in the frame 29 and is suspended by wire ropes 80 passing round pulley wheels 31 mounted on a trans" verse g rder 32 guided in the frame 29. The

wire ropes wound on drums 31 are,

operated by suitable reduction gearing indiseated at'33 driven by a motor 34.

The mast 28 is supported by a ball bear-- ing-"3 6 and is guided in the toothed ring 37 which is rotated'by pinioni8, shaft 9,

and wheel 11 as described in connection with system of jointed bars, of the lazy tongs type, so disposed that the devices can be moved nearer together or farther apart, while the surfaces remain coplanar. The outerlinks 40, 41 are pivoted respectively at. 42 and 43. The links 424:, 45 are pivoted respectively to nuts 46, 47. engaging with a bar 48 of which the screwthread is left handed at one end and right-handed at the other end. The bar is mounted in a crosshead 49 and is rotated by a wheel 50. Links 51, '52'are pivoted at 53'to the central part of the cross head 49 Having thus described the nature of the said invention and'the best means we know of carrying the same into practical efiect,

the .girder.

1. An overhead crane comprising an overhead trolley and a vertlcal frame secured ito said trolley, amast suspended from said trolley, a ring secured to said frame,,jmeans for rotating said mast and guiding it in said ring, a crossrunwaygirderfixed to and r0- tating with said mast and symmetrically disposed on each side thereof, hoisting and gripping appliances carried by said cross runway girder on each side of said mast and means fordisplacing said appliances along 2. An overhead crane comprising an overhead trolley and a vertical framesecured to said trolley, a mast suspendedifrom said trolley, a ring secured .to said frame, a toothed ring on themast, a pinion engaging with said toothedring and means for rotating'saidpinion, a cross runway girder fixed to and "rotating with said mast and symmetrically disposed on each side thereof,

hoisting andgripping appliances carried by said cross runway girder on each side of said ances along the girder.

3. An overhead crane comprlsing an overhead trolley,'a mast suspended therefrom, a

mast and means for displacing said applifcross runway girder fixed to and rotating load.

with said mast and symmetrically disposed on each sldethereof, hoistlng and gripping appl ances earned by said cross. runway girder and means by which the said hoisting and gripping appliances can be simultane- :ously displaced together on the cross runway girder V to balance the distribution of the 4. An overhead crane comprising an overhead trolley and a vertical frame secured to .said trolley, a mast suspended from; said trolley, means for rotating said mast, said means comprising a toothed ring surrounding a cross section of said mast and gearing a a r gripping appliances carried by said cross rlpping devices 38 are supported by runwaygirder and means for displacing said appliances along said girder. a

a 5. An overhead crane comprising an overhead trolley, a mast suspended therefrom, a cross runway'girder fixed to and rotating with said mast and symmetrically disposed ,on each sidethereof,-hoisting and grlpping appliances carried by said cross runway girder and a system of jointed rods con nected in the manner of'lazy tongs pivoted to saidvertical and to said gripping appliances, adapted when expanded or contracted to maintain a symmetrical distribution of the lifting girder, and meahsffor raising and lowering wvith said'masuhoisting and gripping apm'ast, means for raising and lowering said pliances'on said cross runway girder and means for displacing said appliances along said cross runway girder. I

V 8. An overhead crane comprising anoverhead trolley and a square, sectioned vertical mast suspended therefrom and rotatable" about its vertical axis, avertical guiding transverse girder guided in said frame, pulley wheels on said transverse glrder,

drums mounted on the head of said mast,"

frame secured to said overhead trolley, a

vertical axis, a vertical guiding frame secured to said overhead trolley, a transverse girder guided in said frame, a ball bearing in said transverse girder supporting said mast, means for raising and lowering said mast and transverse girder, a toothed ring at the lower end of said guiding 'i'rame adapted to form a guide for said mast and means for rotating said ring,'across runway girder fixed to and rotating with mast, hoisting and gripping appliances on said mast and means for displacing said appliances along the cross runway girder.

10. An overhead crane comprising an overhead trolley and a square sectioned mast suspended therefrom and-rotatable about its vertical axis, a vertical guiding frame secured to said overhead trolley, a transverse girder guided in said frame, a ball bearing in said transverse girder supporting said mast, means for raising and lowering said mast and transverse girder, a toothed ring fixed to and rotating with said mast, hoisting and gripping appliances on said mast and means for displacing said appliances along said cross runway girder.

In testimony whereof we have signed our names to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

LAWRENCE ENNIS ALEXANDER JACK. Witnesses to the signature of Lawrence Ennis:

E. WLDAWES, I ERNEST LAWRENCE. I Witnesses to the signature of Alexander .Tack: CHRISTINA SHARP,

ALFRED H. JACK. 

